Quick thinking and decisive action by four tactically proficient "band dads" averted a potential catastrophe at a Texas high school band competition. An 83-year-old man, identified as Dennis Brandl, opened fire at the Pasadena Memorial High School auditorium following a drum line competition. Brandl discharged two rounds, one hitting a door and the other striking a 26-year-old percussion technical consultant for Angleton High School in the shoulder. The victim was transported to a Houston hospital and is anticipated to fully recover.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, a parent attending the event tackled Brandl. He was then swiftly apprehended by a combination of Pasadena ISD police, a civilian, and several other good Samaritans. The four "band dads" instrumental in subduing Brandl have been identified as Air Force veteran Abram Trevino, Army veteran Adam Curow, Marine veteran Efrain (Polo) Castillo, and Houston Police Department Sergeant Joe Sanchez. Trevino and Curow each served for 13 years, Castillo for four, and Sanchez has a 32-year tenure with the HPD.
Curow recounted their coordinated response to FOX 26, stating, "As soon as everyone was screaming and yelling, gunshots fired, Joe and myself looked at each other and ran straight to the door. By the time we got inside, Polo and Abram were right behind us as a band dad team." Sanchez added, "I grabbed his arms while Adam took the gun out. Once the gun was removed from his hands, we had no handcuffs, so I took my belt off and made a handcuff." The four men restrained Brandl until law enforcement arrived.
While the motive remains unclear, authorities are confident that the bystanders' actions were heroic. Brandl, who claimed he was being chased and feared for his and his wife's lives, is currently held without bond. The school district confirmed that Brandl had no affiliation with the band contest and are investigating his presence on campus. Pasadena police and the Houston Police Department commended the individuals involved for their bravery and quick response in preventing further harm.
